US Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) speaks on stage on the second day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum on July 16, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Credit: GettyImages – Chip Somodevilla

The proposed No Funds for Forced Labor Act would require the US Secretary of Treasury to direct US executive directors at international financial institutions to oppose funding for projects that pose a risk of using forced labour.

A key focus of the bill is ensuring that projects in XUAR, where forced labour of Uyghurs and other minority groups have been reported, are thoroughly vetted.

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Senator Rubio, who has previously authored legislation on Uyghur human rights, emphasised the need for continued vigilance. “We have a moral duty to ensure our nation isn’t tied to any purchases tainted with the forced labour of humans,” he said. Forced labour is a horrific practice witnessed worldwide. In China, the Chinese Communist Party continues with its grotesque campaign of genocide against Uyghurs and other minorities.”

Senator Merkley echoed the sentiment, stating: “Our tax dollars should never inadvertently go toward projects using forced labour. This bipartisan bill builds off our Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act to ensure the United States is not complicit in this horrific human rights abuse. We need to send a strong message against slave labour wherever this evil appears.”

The No Funds for Forced Labor legislation would also:

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  • Require these institutions to explain how they vet projects for forced labour risks and what actions are taken to mitigate, track, and reverse that risk; and
  • Require a Treasury report, within one year and annually for the next five years, that details any project approved by an international financial institution in which forced labour could be used, and the efforts the executive director at each international financial institution has taken to convince other countries to oppose any project that could use forced labour.

A companion bill has been introduced in the US House of Representatives by Representative Jennifer Wexton (D-VA).

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Last week (23 September), as Shein made new bids for transparency, Just Style investigated the skeletons in its closet after human rights group Stop Uyghur Genocide (SUG) submitted evidence to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to block Shein’s bid to list on the London Stock Exchange on allegations of forced labour within its supply chain.